Abstract
The culture and society of Tibet has been shaped by Mahayana Buddhism and the web of Lamaist monasteries. Ethnically, culturally and linguistically Tibet has been a distinct entity for over 2,000 years. In 1911 Tibet expelled all Chinese officials and was free of all Chinese influence until 1950 when People’s Liberation Army invaded and occupied the country. The imposition of Han Chinese Maoist ideology and control of religious institutions and practices is transforming the society and culture of Tibet. This chapter discusses the various phases in China’s control of religion in Tibet and future of religion in the country.
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Acknowledgement
I appreciate assistance and good fellowship in the field during my travels in Tibet in the 1950s to G. R. Jani and C. K. Lee; and in the 2000s to Chou, Richard, Otis, Linda, Julie and Steve. I am also indebted to several Tibetans and Chinese residents of Tibet for facilitating field observations.
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Karan, P.P. (2015). Suppression of Tibetan Religious Heritage. In: Brunn, S. (eds) The Changing World Religion Map. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_23
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